


Wrapped Up in You

by tinytobio



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: FFXVSS17, First Kiss, Fluff, Knitting, M/M, Minor Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 06:16:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13265466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinytobio/pseuds/tinytobio
Summary: Although initially a ploy to procrastinate summer homework, Noctis learns to knit for Ignis.





	Wrapped Up in You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kuroneko07712](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuroneko07712/gifts).



> For @kanamycinblog on twitter for the Final Fantasy XV Secret Santa (#FFXVSS17) run by @stlmpaks and @peonysoda. Thanks so much for organising it!!  
> I apologise for being late TT^TT but I hope you enjoy it!

Noctis would get around to finishing his summer homework, just not now. He reasoned that a small break wouldn’t hurt; he still had a couple of weeks until school came around once again, after all. So, he picked up his remote and booted up his console. It tided him over for long enough, but endless level grinding was grinding on his attention span in turn. His mind wandered and how he managed to end up on thoughts of learning how to knit while hacking down hordes of digital enemies was unknown, though it did keep his attention longer than the stream that had passed since.

 _A jack of all trades was better than a master of one, right? Just look at Ignis_. Noctis paused at his thoughts. Ignis _had_ recently said he needed more casual clothing – something about a late growth spurt finally making him outgrow some of his favourites that he’d been clinging onto for far too long. He grumbled especially about a sweater that he was particularly fond of. Noctis immediately knew which one Ignis was referring to and lamented its loss as well.

It was one that was purchased a number of years ago when Ignis stepped in as Noctis’ bodyguard for a shopping trip as Gladio, the usual one appointed for outings like that, had prior arrangements. A bodyguard was practically useless, but a required formality nonetheless, and so Ignis ended up on the side lines, providing an extra opinion here and there as Noctis and Prompto tried on masses of clothing. When a sweater caught the advisor’s eye, Prompto immediately convinced him to try it on, excited to finally see Ignis more dressed down.

“It is getting rather chilly as of late,” Ignis reasoned as he stepped out of the dressing room to face his two judges. “But don’t you think it’s rather large? This was the smallest they have.”

“You totally pull of that oversized style – looks real cozy,” Prompto assured with a grin and a thumbs up. “And somehow you’ve still got that sophisticated ‘Ignis’-flare.”

Noctis nodded in agreement. “Yeah Specs, it looks great on you.”

With some more deliberation, and a threat from Noctis taking out his credit card that he’d buy it himself if Ignis didn’t, Ignis gave in. Since then, it was always the first sweater Ignis pulled out once it was cold enough, and the one he wore most often.

It would be missed dearly, however, that did mean that Ignis was in need of a replacement, and nothing said ‘casual’ more than a handmade sweater. A person to gift to was always a good motivator for the young prince, only wanting the best for his friends and peers. Perhaps more so if Ignis was the someone in question – he supported Noctis in every way possible since the day they had met and was his oldest friend, so of course it would make sense that would be the _only_ different reason as opposed to his other friends, or so he told himself.

It wasn’t because he would feel a rush of butterflies well up inside him whenever they snuck out together for their semi-regular stargazing ‘dates’ (one time, Noctis had said “well, it’s a date” without thinking as they wrapped up their plans and Ignis had choked so hard on the ebony he’d been sipping at the time that it took him a few minutes to recover – they didn’t speak of that particular incident again or how both of them had pink tipped ears when the coughing died down). Not because of how light he would feel when Ignis smiled in his general vicinity, or especially so when he laughed a little behind his hand. And not because of the light flush he got when their fingers brushed and lingered near each other longer than what Noctis hoped was mere coincidence.

 No, it was _just_ because he wanted to repay the efforts his advisor put in for him every day.

Noctis shook his head slightly to clear his mind of Ignis and pulled out his phone, starting a string of searches to find out how to knit. Of course, an hour or so later, he ended up with a basket filled with an absurd amount yarns, needles, and digital patterns on Insomnia’s biggest site for the community’s knitters, just one click away from purchasing it all. There was an end of summer clearance sale – why a yarn clearance was needed was lost upon Noctis, but he wasn’t complaining – and it was near impossible not to take advantage of that.

  _It’s a good investment if I end up knitting a lot,_ Noctis thought as he added yet another colour variation of a chunky yarn he added to his basket a few minutes ago. _And I won’t know what yarn I want to make Ignis’ sweater out of unless I try all of them._

○○○

A couple days later, a rather large box was delivered to Noctis’ front door; one too large for him to carry on his own so he had to resort to pushing it across the floor into his bedroom. Noctis thanked the Astrals that he had the foresight to choose a delivery date and time where no other curious eyes would be around. He didn’t want his surprise to be ruined before it started, after all.

Noctis tore into the packaging to inspect the sheer number of balls of yarn he’d bought, but he didn’t really know where to start. This was all so new and different to anything he had done before it was a little overwhelming – Noctis was starting to wonder if he has made a mistake in buying so much right from the get-go. However, sinking his hands and arms into the deep box was really nice. The soft fluffiness of the yarn near the top of the box also made a good pillow to bury his face into as he considered his plan of action.

He had read that projects such as scarves or squares to eventually make up a blanket were a good place to start. Their patterns could be simple enough that it allowed beginners to focus on getting hang of the two basic stitches that make up the core of knitting, rather than worrying about counting the number of stitches, decreasing and increasing, or slipping stitches that more complicated patterns usually required. Noctis decided that squares would be the most suitable for him – he would be able to try out all the different types of yarn and different patterns in small sections, whereas with a scarf, he’d be locked into one pattern and yarn type for a really long time. He imagined it would get boring fast, especially when he had so many options available. He would also get a blanket out of it eventually if not too many attempts turned out horribly. It was decided.

 With a rough plan in mind, he started to dig out for the first pair of needles he could reach in the box and instead pulled out all the needles packaged in one bundle. Of course, Noctis should have expected this but now he had more decisions to make – which needles to use. It was technically his own fault for buying so many, but different patterns and yarns had specified different needles, so he _had_ to cover all his bases and buy a wide selection of them. He immediately put down the circle needles since they were listed the least and, in his eyes, just seemed more complicated (even though he had previously read that they could be used for pretty much any knitting). Now he had to choose sizes, but for that he’d have to choose the first ball of yarn he was going to practice with. He already had his eye on this blue yarn that shimmered slightly since it reminded him of Carbuncle, so that was simple enough. Noctis wanted to knit his own Carbuncle when he was a more competent knitter, but first, practice to make Ignis’ sweater. So, he picked up the ball and chose the needles that were listed on the label.

Noctis could finally start to knit. Or well, try to. Enthusiasm and excitement will only get you so far, and it only managed to get Noctis to successfully cast on and knit a square a couple inches wide after many hours, although not without near constant video tutorial replaying, accumulating a small pile of scraps from unsalvageable attempts, and periodic waves of lowkey rage.

 _Fuck knitting,_ Noctis thought, relaxing back against the headboard from his hunched over and cross-legged position he’d assumed during his foray into knitting. He lifted the square to inspect it – it wasn’t truly square shaped with the starting edge being wider, there were visible places where the knit stiches were different in size, and his casting off needed some work, but Noctis felt pride and satisfaction wash over him. _But seeing something I’ve made and completed with my own two hands is pretty rewarding._

Deciding that was enough for the time being, Noctis placed the needles, yarn and square he was working with in a drawer of his bedside table, and got up to put the remaining box of his overzealous spending in his closet. It took a lot of rearranging to find a space for it while also being able to conceal it well. It was common for Prompto to walk in and grab the clothes he kept at Noctis’ apartment – ones that were forgotten from previous overnight stays but were left there for future use – so he had to be careful. Noctis also left his closet doors open more often that he should do, so it was especially important to make things look natural for when Ignis did his routine clear up of his room. While Ignis didn’t often clear up the mess of clothes stored in there himself, he was somehow able to notice even the smallest of details out of place, so a quick glance into the open doors could be the end of that year’s Christmas surprise.

With everything safely tucked away, Noctis yawned and crawled underneath the duvet. A nap was in order after concentrating on one task for so long – he would work on homework or read any reports that Ignis may bring over later in the day. Or maybe he would try making another square with the deep purple yarn (definitely not as procrastination or anything). The young prince let sleep take him with a small smile on his face, excited to knit more eventually create a sweater worthy for his advisor.

○○○

 _It seems that it is getting colder earlier than last year,_ Ignis on his way to Noctis’ apartment after his work at the Citadel. _It’s only September but it looks like I’ll need to remember my scarf tomorrow._

Stepping in, he called out to his charge and received a more spirited greeting than usual. Ignis had noted an overall lifted mood in Noctis recently, and was grateful to whatever had caused it, Astral-influenced or otherwise. Seeing him more content and energised was a great relief, especially since some signs of falling into a more serious slump were previously appearing. He would still be on the lookout since Noctis had once confided in him that noticeably low moods sometimes appeared without warning, and Ignis vowed to himself that he would help Noctis through those times where he could. However, for now he would enjoy Noctis’ good mood with him – his happiness was extremely infectious to Ignis.

“Have you settled back into your school routine yet, your Highness?” Ignis questioned.

“Quit it with the ‘Highness’. Did you have a lot of stuffy meetings with even stuffier nobles today or something?” Noctis scoffed as he got up from the sofa to the kitchen where Ignis started pulling out ingredients for dinner.

Ignis’ lips turned up slightly. “Indeed, I did. Apologies.”

“But yeah, I have. Forgot how tired I get without enough sleep on days I also have a shift at the restaurant, though.”

“Oh?” Had Ignis missed a sign? “Is something on your mind if you’re staying up later than usual?”

Noctis paused, a quick flash of panic appearing on his face before he schooled it back into a more nonchalant expression and stuttered out, “Nope, just um- I guess I was on my…phone a bit too much. The bright light stopping me from sleeping, y’know?”

It was clear, to Ignis at least, that Noctis wasn’t revealing the entire truth. Ignis knew that Noctis often tapped away on his phone before bed on most nights anyway, and he had no right to call him out on that since Ignis often did the same, checking and double-checking things for tomorrow, or just catching up on what news he had missed that day. He turned to Noctis, giving him a small, concerned frown, conveying that he knew of Noctis’ lie-by-omission, but would leave it if he wanted.

“But anyway,” Noctis swiftly moved on, giving Ignis his answer. “What’re you making for dinner?”

“A beef stew, if that’s alright with you. Since the temperature outside is starting to drop, I thought something especially warm and filling was in order.”

“Sounds good. Do you happen to need any help?”

“Well, I’ll gladly accept some help if you’re offering. May I ask what brought this on?”

Noctis shrugged. “Just felt like it. I could help you out while learning how you do it, so it can’t be _that_ bad right?”

“I suppose not, though you’ll see what vegetables I’ll try to hide within the stew,” Ignis said with an amused smile.

“Gross. But if you were gonna put them in anyway, why not.”

“Splendid. Could you please wash and chop the carrots, celery and potatoes for me? Ah, don’t forget to peel the carrots and potatoes first, though.”

“Got it, Specs,” Noctis affirmed and grabbed the vegetables to begin his task.

As Ignis carried out his own preparations, he felt Noctis’ eyes on him, and then he saw his hand move about at around face height in his peripheral before Ignis heard Noctis mutter a curse under his breath.

“Is everything alright, Noct?”

“Shi- uh yeah, I just realised how short I am compared to you. Like my nose is at about your shoulder.” Noctis moved a little closer to determine his observation more accurately, using his hand like how Ignis must’ve seen in the corner of his eye just now. “I need to get taller.”

“Don’t forget I am a couple years older than you, and you’ve probably got a growth spurt or two left in you. Although, they might not happen if you don’t have a balanced diet,” Ignis teased.

“Good thing I’ve got you to hide these icky vegetables in my food, right?” Noctis replied, shooting the vegetables by the sink a dirty look.

Ignis shook his head in mock disappointment. “Only if you stop picking out the ones I don’t manage to hide well enough. But anyways, those vegetables aren’t going to prepare themselves, _chop chop_.”

Noctis groaned at the play on words but obliged nonetheless.

The sounds of cooking filled the background as the two made intermittent small talk. Ignis had always found the rhythmic taps on the chopping board or the sizzling in a pan relaxing, and with Noctis there, he found it even more enjoyable than usual. He entertained the idea of asking Noctis to join him more often, already growing fond of the way their elbows bumped into each other occasionally, the closer than strictly necessary proximity in which they worked together, and the soft lilt of Noctis’ voice as they talked, but quickly dismissed the fantasy.

 _While it would be good for him to learn how to cook on his own, I shouldn’t force a chore such as this on Noct. He already has so much on his plate,_ Ignis thought wistfully. _Perhaps he will offer again another time._ Ignis could only hope, and he did very much so.

“Hey, Iggy,” Noctis called out once he finished all the peeling. “How small do you actually want this stuff cut up?”

Ignis brought his hand up to his chin and considered for a moment. “Cut the celery and carrots into fairly thin rounds, thin enough that you think you’ll be able to choke down without too much hardship, and the potatoes into bite size pieces.”

Noctis nodded, muttering quietly how he wouldn’t want them in at all, and picked up the knife and the first victim. He cut a few rounds before Ignis stopped him.

“Just a moment, Noct. You don’t want to slice your fingertips off; keep your left hand like a cat’s paw while using the knife with your right.”

“Like a what now?”

Ignis stood behind Noctis and used his left hand to curl Noctis’ into the correct position and placement, resting his right on his shoulder.

“Like this,” Ignis said. “It’s best to keep your hand close to the blade, as counter-intuitive as that may initially sound. If you keep the knife’s blade against your knuckles, and only lift it as much as you need, you’ll avoid having the sharp edge pointing anywhere near flesh.”

Noctis stood completely still for a moment, frozen in place, and Ignis was about to question it when Noctis finally moved the knife to rest against his knuckles.

“Like this?” Noct asked as he began slicing again.

“Yes, though you should aim to keep the tip of the knife in contact with the board at all times. You should also move both hands together to the left as you cut.”

Noctis made a confused sound and turned his neck at a slightly awkward angle to look at Ignis. Ignis noticed a slight blush across Noctis’ cheeks, and realised the position they were in, now flushing himself. “What? Show me what you mean.”

The reasonable thing to do would be to step away and demonstrate using his own knife and chopping board, but Ignis was already standing behind Noctis, left hand still on his.  It was his own fault for being in this position himself, so he had to carry on – right? So, before he could overthink it any further, Ignis reached round to grasp the hand Noctis was holding the knife, slightly readjusting his grip in the process. This led to Ignis being pressed more firmly against Noctis’ back; Ignis prayed to every Astral that Noctis couldn’t hear the speeding up of his heart.

Ignis guided Noctis’ hands through the motions of several cuts. “This is how you would aim to handle the knife, it can take a while to completely become comfortable with it, but I’m sure you’ll pick it up quick enough.” Ignis managed to say, more strained than he would’ve liked.

Noctis nodded and muttered, “Got it. Thanks, Iggy.”

Letting go with some hidden reluctance, Ignis realised his hands were beginning to sweat and he tried to subtly wipe them against his trousers. He cleared his throat quietly.

“OK, show me you can do it.”

While slightly awkward with his movements and having to readjust a few times, Noctis managed to handle the knife well enough that Ignis was no longer worried for the safety of his fingers. Ignis hummed in approval and returned to the beef and stock.

The both of them were still just noticeably flushed, but continued to make small talk as they were before, returning to somewhat stifled normalcy.  Ignis’ mind kept going back to the warmth of the Prince against his chest in the lulls of conversation, still feeling the phantom sensation.

Once all the components were in the pot and simmering away, Ignis turned to Noctis.

“Thank you for your help, Noct. The stew will take another-“ Ignis looked at his wristwatch. “Hour or two. Hopefully it isn’t too late for you, but it will be ready a bit earlier than I anticipated with you to help me.” A small smile appeared on Ignis’ face.

Noctis rubbed his neck, bashful. “Nah, I didn’t do that much, but it was fun, Iggy. Maybe I’ll help out sometime again. Don’t get your hopes up too much, though.”

“I’ll always welcome your assistance, so feel free to join me whenever you feel like it.”

“Will do,” Noctis said flashing a relaxed smile back.

“Alright, now, we both have work to be doing so let’s crack on while the stew simmers.”

Noctis groaned, but once again obliged.

○○○

Game day for Prompto and Noctis was usually assigned to Saturdays, so long as no other events were also that day. With the days getting increasingly colder and shorter, the two often planned to meet at Noctis’ apartment instead of going to the arcade.

“Hey, No~ct,” Prompto called out, knocking on the door of Noctis’ place before letting himself in. “Sorry I’m a bit early.” Noctis had given Prompto his own key card to get into his apartment so he wouldn’t have to go down and let him in himself every single time he came over. It took a lot of convincing and even more background checks, despite having already run them when Prompto first got close to Noctis, to finally get it for him.

Prompto heard a choked “Wait!” from Noctis, and then a bang and a scrape of a table across the floor at which Noctis gave a pained yelp. It sounded as if it were from the living room.

“Noct?!” Prompto rushed into the living room without taking off his shoes. “Are you alright?”

Noctis was on the sofa, clutching his foot and the coffee table skewed from its usual position. Prompto put together that he must’ve kicked the table.

“Dude, are you OK?”

“It’s nothing, just hit my foot on the table…” Noctis bit out.

Prompto sighed in relief, glad nothing serious happened. Then, he noticed something in Noctis’ lap and on the table. “Is that- wool?”

A strangled sound left Noctis’ mouth and he quickly gathered up the yarn and some papers, hiding it in his arms and turning away from where Prompto was standing. “It’s nothing!” Prompto could hear the panicked embarrassment lacing his voice.

“Ooh?” A devilish grin spread across Prompto’s face as he stalked towards Noctis. “What’s this?”

Noctis curled further in on himself like a pill bug. “I told you it’s nothing, stop!”

“It can’t be nothing if you’re acting like this. Show me!” Prompto placed his hands on Noctis’ shoulders, trying to get him to turn over. When he wouldn’t budge, Prompto dramatically sighed. “You leave me no choice.”

“Wh-” was all Noctis could get out before fingers dug into his sides and started tickling him. Noctis near screeched.

“Gonna tell me now?”

“OK, OK! I give, get off!” Noctis panted, still wriggling and trying to throw Prompto off his back.

Prompto giggled and let up. Noctis glared at him as he caught his breath. “I hate you. I regret ever telling you I’m ticklish.”

“Hey, I would’ve found out someday,” Prompto raised his hands in surrender. “Anyways, what’s up with the wool?”

“Yarn. And I learnt to knit.” Noctis mumbled, gaze falling towards the floor. “Like, I dunno. Since the end of summer break?”

Prompto reached for the work in progress and ran his fingers over it. “That’s pretty cool. Why’re so embarrassed about it though?”

“I wasn’t- ugh, well it’s not very masculine or princely is it?” Noctis said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Prompto hummed. “Well it doesn’t exactly match your stand off-ish, bad boy image you try to give off at first glance,” Noctis began to protest at that but Prompto carried on. “But I still see it as something cool to be able to do, and I dunno, it _does_ sorta suit you?” He tapped his finger against his chin in thought for a second before turning back to Noctis. “What brought this on anyway?

Noctis began to mumble and stutter, not sure how to start his sentence. A slight blush began crawling up his cheeks.

Prompto only managed to catch one word. “Ignis?”

“Y-yeah. Felt like making something for him as a Christmas present. He’s been saying he needed some another jumper and- yeah.”

“Christmas is some time away though. Why’d you start back in summer? And why don’t you just buy something?” As the words left Prompto’s mouth, he realised something, his devious smirk returning to his face.

“A~h, I see. You wanted to make something super special for the man you’re head over heels for!” Prompto clasped his hands together and made some kissy sounds. “Something just for him to keep him warm through the cold, bitter winter months because you won’t confess to him that you’d rather have your arms around him to keep him warm instead. So, you have to resort to something handmade and filled with all your love as a substitute. However, being as dense and unaffected by your obvious pining as he is, he won’t notice. Oh, the tragedy!” Prompto fake swooned onto the sofa, hand pressed against his forehead but began to chuckle at his own performance.

“Stop being so dramatic, you sound like Gladio’s cheesy romance novels,” Noctis groaned, head in his hands, although he tried to force down an amused smile.

“But you’re so red, dude. I’m spot on, aren’t I?” Noctis groaned again and Prompto giggled some more.

“It’s definitely not that over the top, but fine; I do want to make something special for him.”

“I can’t believe you managed to learn how to knit in only a couple of months just for him, though. It must be the power of love~” Noctis lightly punched Prompto’s shoulder. “It looks really great so far. It looks as good as the stuff my mom’s made, and she’s been knitting for forever.”

“Your mom knits?”

“Yeah, she said she’d teach me one day, but she’s been too busy and forgot I guess?”

Noctis hummed, and after a pause offered, “I could try and teach you?”

Prompto shot up straight. “You seriously would?”

“Yeah, it’s no problem. And you could make something of your own for your current crush.”

“Hm, I dunno. It seems like he never gets cold, so he probably wouldn’t even want any knitted stuff.”

“’Never gets cold’, huh? Is this the same guy you called a space heater some time ago?”

As a ‘yeah’ was about to leave the tip of Prompto’s tongue, he properly looked over at Noctis who was sporting a growing grin. Prompto immediately blushed.

“How’d you guess so quickly!?”

Noctis snickered. “You’ve been spending a lot of time around him lately, even though you used to find him really intimidating. And you’ve mentioned his muscles much more than somebody without a crush would.”

“You know I’ve started Crownsguard training recently and he’s been helping me out.” Prompto pouted. “Also, you have to admit Gladio’s muscles _are_ really nice, but I guess you wouldn’t have noticed since you only have eyes on Ignis’.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been talking to him more than just as training buddies, and _you_ know it.” Noctis replied, completely ignoring the comment on Ignis. “Anyways, go take off your shoes while I go get you some stuff to knit with.”

“Woohoo! Time to start our own knitting club!” exclaimed Prompto as he got up to do as Noctis said. “Choose me a cool wool colour, alright Noct?”

“It’s yarn.” Noctis deadpanned. “Just come and choose one yourself then. I bought a lot of colours.”

Prompto excitedly trotted off to the front door, picking up his bag that he dropped there on the way back. He stood in shock as Noctis unearthed a giant cardboard box from the closet.

“You weren’t kidding when you said ‘a lot’.”

“I didn’t know what to get, OK?”

Prompto started sifting through the different yarns, setting aside a few to round down his choice, and pouting when he was told by Noctis that a fuzzy, yellow yarn that screamed ‘chocobo’ he picked out was difficult to knit with when first starting.

“I’ll be back for you,” Prompto said wistfully as he dropped it back into the box.

Once he finally selected a yarn, a simpler but also yellow one, Noctis gave him the appropriate needles as well as a random set for himself to demonstrate with and the two headed back into the living room.

Noctis began teaching Prompto, but already went to fast when he forgot to explain how to do a slip knot. The two steadily plodded onwards and apart from one restart due to Prompto casting on too tightly and being unable to knit the first row easily, as well as the odd reminder here and there of the difference between a knit and a purl, Prompto picked up knitting much faster than either were expecting. Soon enough, he was holding a completed knitted square.

“I did it!”

 “Good job, Prompto,” Noctis smiled. “How’d you get it down so quickly?”

“Dunno, guess I’m just pretty _handy_ ,” Prompto said, nudging Noctis with his elbow for further emphasis.

“That was just bad.” Prompto laughed at the look of disgust on Noctis’ face. “What do you wanna do now, though? Could practice some more with squares, though I don’t think you need it, look for something else to knit, or we could actually play some games like we originally planned to.”

“No, I wanna keep knitting. A change of pace from games is good, and you look pretty invested in continuing. Where’d you find new stuff to knit, anyways?”

“There’s this site I found that has a lot of patterns – instructions – and a lot of them are free,” Noctis replied. He handed several sheets of paper to Prompto. “This is the one I’m using for Ignis’ sweater, though I did pay for it. I printed it out ‘cause I got tired of continually unlocking my phone when I reached the end of a row.”

Prompto flicked over the pattern, noticing some annotations Noctis added to indicate what he’d already done. “This looks so confusing, Noct. How’d you even understand this? It’s like gibberish.”

Noctis shrugged. “You just get kinda used to it. Most patterns use the same abbreviations and they’re usually listed anyway. I can help you read them when you find one that you like.”

“Thanks, Noct!” Prompto smiled. He was about to give the pattern back to Noctis but noticed something on the front. “Wait pass me that pen.”

Gingerly handing it over, Noctis asked, “What are you gonna do?”

Prompto said nothing and continued to scribble down something onto the paper. He passed it back once he finished with a cheery “Here you go!”. Noctis looked over it and sighed.

“Guess I should’ve expected something like this,” Noctis shook his head, and then looked down at the almost completed sleeve piece he was currently working on. “But I mean, I guess you’re not wrong.”

“I bet it’s exactly what you were thinking but weren’t acknowledging it,” Prompto snickered.

“Whatever,” Noctis dismissed, neither denying or confirming his claim. “Let’s find something for you to knit for your furnace of a crush.”

“OMG, how long are you gonna keep bringing up the heater thing up?”

“Not until you stop teasing me about Ignis.”

Prompto whispered under his breath, “OK, never then.” If Noctis heard, he didn’t comment.

○○○

The winter had fully taken its hold on Insomnia, dusting of frost and breaths of fog appearing on most mornings, accompanied by winds howling through the night and biting at the faces of the citizens during the day. It wasn’t the most welcoming or uplifting of times, but it was familiar to the residents of the Crown City, and everyone trudged on about their lives regardless, although not without plentiful, but light-hearted, complaints. Ignis was among them, albeit keeping his grumblings to himself most of the time.

 _If only it weren’t so bloody cold._ Ignis switched the hand holding his briefcase to pocket the numbing hand despite the gloves he wore.

He was making the short trek from the Citadel to the car park, off to take Noctis to his part-time workplace and Prompto to his home. In the back of his mind he was thinking of how to manage the delay caused by the detour during the traffic rush of other homebound school children and their parents, but was grateful that Noctis made the appeal for the lift that extended to Prompto, so they wouldn’t have to “freeze their asses off” as the Prince so aptly phrased it, after seeing neither teen had remembered their coats. Prompto was at least wearing a scarf that would seem obnoxiously yellow if worn by anyone else.

“Hey, Iggy,” Noctis greeted as he got into the back of the car.

“Thanks for the ride, Ignis!” Prompto added as he entered the other side.

As Ignis started up the car, he said, “Hello you two, I trust that school was alright?”

“Same old, same old. Except that one classroom we were moved into for history was freezing.” Noctis replied.

Prompto gave a shiver. “Yeah, I dunno why it was so cold! I wasn’t even allowed to keep my scarf on because the teacher was being all grumpy,” he pouted. “It’s already hard enough to concentrate on old laws and policies in Lucis without thinking about how cold I am every 5 seconds.”

“Let’s hope you won’t have another lesson in there in future,” Ignis said, glancing in the rear mirror. “By the way, Prompto; is that a new scarf?” He had to bring his attention back to the road, but he swore he saw a slight panicked expression in Prompto’s face as he looked away.

“Yeah, I ma- got it recently,” Prompto replied. “Since it’s getting cold and all.”

“A wise decision. It is very ‘you’.”

“I feel like I should take that as an insult, Noct said the same thing. It’s like you’re on the same wavelength or something.” Ignis saw a Prompto nudging Noctis from the corner of his eye in the mirror followed by Noctis hissing out “knock it off”.

“I meant no offence, it really does suit you. And please refrain from play fighting while I’m driving.”

“How’d he even see us?” Prompto whispered, but not very well, since Ignis could still hear him.

“I told you before, eyes on the back of his head,” Noctis half whispered back.

The remainder of the journey was filled with sparse conversation before they arrived at the restaurant Noctis worked at. Both boys thanked Ignis again before they both stepped out – Prompto wanted to grab some sushi for dinner since it was also close to Prompto’s home. Ignis also suspected that he wanted to keep Noctis company during the slow hours before the dinner rush. After reconfirming with Noctis when his shift ended, Ignis headed for Noctis’ apartment.

It was slow going, with seemingly more cars than usual on the road worsening the traffic, but Ignis mentally ran through the steps of the dish he was going to make, as well as other duties he needed to complete before the day was through. If he didn’t have to clear up _too_ much, he’d be able cook and have time to make it back to the Citadel to work in his office for a decent amount before going to pick up Noctis. Otherwise, he’d brought his briefcase and Noctis let him use his computer to reach the Citadel intranet if he needed whenever he was working there. Before he offhandedly mentioned it to Noctis who then gave him permanent permission, Ignis would have to make journey back to the Citadel, wasting huge amounts of time, or travel around with his laptop, which Ignis wasn’t very fond of doing. It was strange at first, but he’d recently become more accustomed to it and was slowly spending more and more time working there, with and without Noctis present.

Once Ignis parked the car and entered the apartment, he wasn’t surprised at the level of mess there was. While it certainly no where near as bad as it could be, there were still a fair number of empty snack packages and cans littered around on the various tables of the living and dining area, as well as a few piles of haphazardly stacked textbooks and reports. He set about clearing the trash, resealing any half eaten but still edible snacks he found, and collected the few dishes to be washed.

He then moved onto the bedroom, seeing a small pile of clothes on the floor, but trusting Noctis to move them to the appropriate baskets before it got too out of hand. There wasn’t any noticeable litter, but there were a large number of mugs and cups. How Noctis managed to accumulate so many in his room was unknown to Ignis but he started gathering them up anyway – luckily, none had anything festering in them, or had much liquid if any, so they were easy to stack and carry. He almost had too many to fit in his hands when he moved to pick up the ones on the bedside table but Ignis stopped as he saw that the drawer was ajar with a fabric sticking out of it, as if Noctis hastily shoved it in. He didn’t want to accidentally spill what contents there were in the cups while picking up the last few, so he returned the ones he was holding to the desk with a soft clatter. Ignis pulled the drawer open and found a slightly worn set of papers on top of the fabric. He couldn’t help but skim over the contents as he picked both it and the fabric to place it back more neatly into the drawer. He initially couldn’t work out what it was for, but it dawned on him as he flicked through the pages and read a little more.

“Instructions to knit a sweater?” Ignis wondered aloud. He then turned his attention to the fabric he was holding, realising that it had needles attached on its end and was leading to a ball of yarn stuffed in the drawer. He idly rubbed his thumb over it as he admired the work. It looked almost machine made, if not for the unevenness in stitches if one looked close enough. Not to mention it was extremely soft.

“Incredible,” he whispered in awe. “Absolutely incredible.” Ignis put together that this must be a work of Noctis’, and a lot of it with the state of the instructions indicating how much it had been looked at and the size of the piece itself.

He placed it carefully pack in the drawer as to not accidentally disturb the needles, and he noticed what looked a finished sleeve already tucked inside.

 _He’s knitted so much of this sweater._ Ignis mused. _I’ll have to ask him when and how he learnt to knit_. It felt slightly strange not knowing of the Prince’s apparent new hobby when he thought he knew of basically everything about him, but Ignis was proud of Noctis for pursuing and developing a new skill out of his own will, especially something as time consuming as knitting. Ignis didn’t know much about knitting itself, but he has seen someone knit before – he was mesmerised at the movement of their fingers with the yarn and the needles, unable to follow it himself – and could appreciate the time and effort it takes to create even a single item.

He looked over the instructions again, noticing more of the annotations Noctis had written on it. There were numbers, tallies and crossed out sections across the pages which made it look more confusing to Ignis, but he assumed Noctis had developed some sort of system to be able to follow it easily. He flipped the pages to the right order, but then noticed a line of writing that stood out against Noctis’ scrawl.

Near the materials list, it appeared that Noctis listed several colours before choosing green as the main colour, indicated by it being circled and the others on the list being crossed out, but it was the “to match his beautiful eyes” paired with many tiny hearts next to it that caught his attention. In the back of his mind he placed the writing as Prompto’s, but he was more focused on the fact that this jumper wasn’t for Noctis himself as Ignis had assumed.

Ignis finally replaced papers in the drawer, slid it shut, and began picking up the cups as he was supposed to. _Match his eyes? So it’s for someone with green eyes._ His body almost ran on autopilot as he started to get lost in his thoughts.

 _None of his friends have green eyes._ Ignis washed the dishes.

 _Unless he made some new ones that do_. He dried and put them away.

 _I doubt he’d knit an entire sweater for someone I have no clue about_. Ignis began taking out all the ingredients to prepare dinner.

 _Green eyes aren’t even that common among Insomnians_. And then all the equipment.

 _Do I even know anybody with green eyes?_ He began chopping up the onions, the familiar, slight sting beginning to reach his eyes.

Then, it hit Ignis; _he_ was the only one that had green eyes that Noctis knew of. Ignis’ grip slipped, and the knife cut into his finger the tip of his finger.

“Shit,” Ignis blurted out. He immediately set the knife down to inspect the damage. Fortunately, he stopped the knife before any blood was drawn, his nail taking most of the hit, but it was dangerously close. There was a slight discomfort from the cut that would remain so until that portion of his nail grew out, but Ignis could deal with that. He let out a ragged sigh.

 _That was careless of me, stupidly careless._ Ignis berated himself. _I need to focus._

Ignis went back to cooking, reciting each step in mind as he did them to minimise any distraction from his task. However, he couldn’t stop the occasional thought that slipped in, along with the butterflies that came with them – he squashed them as soon as he could and refocused himself. The remainder of his cooking session was injury free, and he managed to clean up any other mess around the apartment while the dish cooked. Ignis turned off the heat and left the food in the pot, since he would be coming back in a few hours to heat it back up anyway, so he could portion out the extras into containers later. He double checked that he did have a reasonable amount of time to justify going back to the Citadel before he picked up his belongings and left.

Back in his office, he began to work. Whether it was productive enough with how often Ignis’ thoughts strayed back to Noctis and his knitting, knitting for _him_ his brain often reminded, was up for debate.

One thing was for certain though, he wouldn’t be asking Noctis about his knitting any time soon.

○○○

Noctis was almost vibrating with excitement. He’d made sure the wrapping was absolutely perfect, going so far as to rewrap the sweater at least four times and retie the ribbon as many as ten times. He was extremely proud of this gift and he wanted it to show as soon as Ignis laid eyes on it. However, despite knowing that Ignis would never truly dislike it, a dark voice in the back of his mind kept reminding him of the fact there was the undeniable chance that he could. The turmoil from the clashing emotions was starting to get a little stifling as the days leading up to Christmas passed and at times he wished he could get this over and done with already.

When Christmas morning did finally come around, Noctis couldn’t contain his glee. Even being present for the boring, televised speech, which was a slightly tweaked version of the same speech given since the times it could only be heard in person, that his father gave as per tradition couldn’t dampen it. Christmas day was always something he looked forward to anyway. With the gifts he received – actual presents from his loved ones, the smiles they gave when they received their own, and the time free from duties he got to spend with them – how could he not, and with gifts he was extremely excited to give, he was particularly anticipating it that year.

The morning and early afternoons were reserved to close family, meaning Noctis and Regis could talk and exchange gifts over a meal for just the two of them. It was time both of them cherished dearly, especially with the scarcer number of times they could talk throughout the rest of the year.

Noctis had knitted a scarf for his father after he finished Ignis’ sweater, and while it was simpler, Noctis put as much devotion to it. Regis could tell immediately, as Noctis shyly revealed that he had made it and to ignore any mistakes when he opened it. Noctis was pulled into a hug that lasted for a long time.

“Thank you, Noctis,” Regis said, slightly teary-eyed with the overwhelming joy he felt. Noctis’ expression reflected the same.

They continued to talk once they collected themselves, exchanging stories, gossiping and poking fun at people they both knew, all the way until it was time to meet for the larger Christmas party. It was lavish event hosted at the Citadel for and by members of staff to celebrate together, along with other friends that they could invite should they please. Everyone did at least something to help organise or set up, though it was usually directed by a different department each year. It was also often the time for the Secret Santa exchanges, bringing large amounts of excitement and cheer, as well as lots of guessing at who gave who what and how each person decided on a gift at least somewhat personal even if the ‘Santa’ didn’t personally know their recipient.

This was during this party that Noctis planned to give Ignis his present, and the nervous butterflies were beginning to well up once again. He’d wanted to give it to him in a quieter place, but Noctis didn’t think he’d survive if he had to wait until after the celebration.

“Hey, Noct!” Noctis turned to the call to find Prompto waving at him, wearing the ridiculous Christmas jumper Noctis had given him yesterday. That year, the two decided gift each other the worst (or best, depending on how you look at it) jumper they could find and that they’d open it on Christmas Eve together, ready to wear the next day.  He walked over to the blond who was standing out further out from the crowd.

“Glad you could make it, Prom. You should’ve texted me when you got here so I could find you, though.” Noctis said. “Could’ve kept me company while those speeches from the lead organisers this year were going on.”

“Sorry, dude,” Prompto apologised. “I was a little late and got caught at the edge of the room when they started. Where’re the others though?”

“I’m pretty sure I saw Gladio getting roped into helping hand out Secret Santa gifts, and Iggy’s helping out with setting out food so I’m pretty sure he’ll be near the buffet tables or the kitchen.”

“Coolio. I’m gonna go give Gladio his gift and you better find Ignis to give him his.” Prompto demanded with a stern point of his finger.

“Eh, maybe later. He’s probably busy at the moment, and it’s a bit crowded right now.”

“No! You gotta give it to him now. Just grab him and take him to-“ Prompto scanned the room quickly and pointed to a set of doors. “Over to that balcony, or something. You’ll have some privacy over there.”

“Really, Prom, I can wait. I’ll come with you to give Gladio his present. Plus, I wanna see the reaction to the scarf you made.”

“No, I know you can’t wait, Noct. _You_ know how much you wanna give the sweater to Ignis. Now stop being a scaredy cat and go! I’ll tell you how it goes with Gladio and you can tell me about Ignis, which BTW, I know he’s gonna love it.” Prompto began pushing Noctis towards the buffet tables.

“Fine,” Noctis pouted, but immediately softened his expression into a smile. “Thanks, Prom. Make sure you don’t accidentally combust in front of Gladio before you can give him the scarf.”

“I can say the same to you, buddy. We both know who’s more likely to though,” Prompto chuckled.

Noctis shot a “definitely you!” over his shoulder as they parted.

It took Noctis a few minutes to actually spot the advisor, placing a few trays on the table. He briskly walked over before Ignis could disappear again.

“Hey, Ignis. Merry Christmas!”

“And Merry Christmas to you too, Noct. How was your morning?” Ignis asked.

“It was great, me and Dad talked a lot. And yours?”

“It was wonderful, too, and then I was busy helping the kitchen staff for some time after spending lunch with my uncle. Although he ended coming to help as well, the workaholic.”

Noctis snorted. “Says you. How about you take a short break. I’ve got your present here but it’s a bit crowded. Come with me to the balcony?”

“Of course, Noct. However, it seems I’ve left your gift back near the kitchens. Let me go get it first.” As Ignis made to leave, Noctis grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“You can give it to me after. I’m really excited for you to open this.”

Ignis couldn’t resist the look on Noctis’ face and caved. “Alright, but we’re going to get my gift to you right after.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.”

Noctis realised he was still leading Ignis by the wrist when they were halfway there to the balcony. It didn’t seem that Ignis minded, and Noctis didn’t really want to let go, so he continued to hold on, glad that he was walking slightly ahead so Ignis wouldn’t be able to see his rising blush.

The pair were greeted by a weak gust of wind when they opened the door, but braved the outside anyway – Noctis could blame any red on his cheeks on the cold so it was fine for him. Luckily, it wasn’t too windy like it had been the previous days.

As Ignis closed the doors behind them, Noctis shuffled around in his bag to grab the correct gift. Once he located it, he put the present bag on the floor and looked up to Ignis, who was returning an expectant gaze. Maybe it was his imagination, but Ignis seemed a little pink already for how long they’d been outside. Noctis pushed that thought away and handed the gift to Ignis.

“Here. I hope you like it,” Noctis rubbed the back of his neck and turned his gaze just off of Ignis’ shoulder as he heard the careful tearing of the wrapping paper. When it stopped, Noctis risked a glance towards Ignis’ face. The soft smile on his face and the adoring look he gave the sweater captivated Noctis. He could feel his face warm as he took in how handsome Ignis looked, his nose and cheeks a cute shade of red and somehow perfectly framed by the Christmas decorations behind him with the light from inside bouncing of his glasses in a way that only made his expression seem fonder. Noctis felt his mouth dry but felt the need to speak.

“You, um, mentioned some time ago that you needed some new stuff since you outgrew your old jumper. So I, like, thought it’d be cool if I could make you a new one. Hopefully, I sized it right and it has that slightly oversized look you liked from your old one.” Noctis trailed off near the end, not knowing what else to say, but Ignis spoke instead.

“Thank you, Noct. This is the best gift anyone has ever given me. Let me try it on.” Ignis shrugged off the cardigan he was wearing and slipped on the jumper. It fit perfectly – so much better than Noctis had imagined when he tried it on himself for the first time after completing it. Ignis seemed to agree, his smile growing brighter. He took Noctis’ hands in both of his and locked eyes with him.

“Truly, Noct. Thank you for this and the time you put into it. I’ll cherish this always.”

Noctis could feel his face almost combust in that instant. Being the target of Ignis’ gaze, smile, and words was almost too much, but Noctis couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

“You’re welcome, Ignis. I’m really glad you like it,” Noctis managed to say in a quiet voice.

“More than just ‘like’, Noct. However, I must confess,” Ignis said as he broke eye-contact. “I knew that you were knitting this sweater.”

Noctis’ eyes widened in shock. “You knew I was making this for you? How?! I thought I completely hid it from you?”

Ignis took one of his hands off Noctis’ to push his glasses up. “Well, I didn’t know it was for me, exactly. I mean, I hoped it was but I- regardless, I happened to stumble across it sticking out of your drawer and in trying to put it back neatly, I discovered what it was. I believe it was a bit less than half way completed at that point. My apologies, Noct.”

 “All the way back then? Man, I thought I could surprise you for once with something special, but I guess not.” Noctis groaned the hand Ignis was no longer holding.

“Noct,” Ignis gently removed the hand covering Noctis’ eyes to make him look at him again. “Me knowing doesn’t make this any less special to me. I still adore it and appreciate all the hard work that went into it. I am still in awe of your skill and motivation to complete this, I can only image how hard it was. It was my own fault for finding out. I am deeply sorry for ruining your surprise.”

Noctis was almost taken aback by the sincerity in Ignis’ words, but gave a soft smile to him. “You don’t have to be that sorry. Just means I’ll have to hide my stuff better next time.”

Ignis’ slight frown was replaced by a small smile, mirroring Noctis’ own. “Now let’s back inside. While I’m sure this sweater will keep me plenty warm, I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

“Y’know I’m wearing a jumper too, right?” Noctis giggled, but cut off suddenly when he saw the telltale leaves and berries of mistletoe hanging above the door.

Noctis mumbled under his breath while his previously fading blush came back full force, “I’m gonna kill Prompto for this.” He could almost hear his giggle for setting him up. Prompto knew where all the mistletoe would be since he was helping decorate this year, and of course he would direct him straight to some with Ignis.

“What was that, Noct?” Ignis asked, but before Noctis could dismiss it, Ignis followed his glare to the offending plant sprig.

Pink crawled across Ignis cheeks and he froze. “Oh.”

“Listen, Iggy. I bet Prompto set this up here to poke fun at me. We can just ignore it if you wa-” Noctis rushed to say.

Ignis interrupted with “But would you be alright if we didn’t ignore it?” and a hopeful look.

He didn’t know if he could get any redder, but Noctis could feel his cheeks burning even more. He gave a small nod. “I’d be really alright with it.”

Noctis saw Ignis swallow, and then gingerly reach for Noctis’ right hand. Ignis gently lifted his hand as he bent down slightly, brushing his lips against Noctis' knuckles. It was barely a kiss, but it still made Noctis’ heart both stop and skyrocket at the same time regardless. Ignis peered up at Noctis above the frame of his glasses to judge his reaction. He was just as red as Noctis felt, the tips of his ears darkening by the second.

“You can’t-” Noctis choked out. “You can’t cop out like that.”

As Ignis tried to form a response, Noctis moved his hand and closed the distance to softly press his lips against Ignis’. It lasted for a long second before Noctis pulled away slightly, just enough to be able to lock eyes with Ignis.

“That’s what I expected for a kiss.”

“Duly noted,” Ignis said, sounding as if he’d had his breath whisked away from him into the night-like winter sky. Ignis raised his hand to cup Noctis’ cheek and leaned in to close the gap between them again.

When they parted this time, they opened their eyes that had fluttered closed during the kiss and saw unadulterated love in the other’s eyes.

Ignis idly stroked Noctis’ cheek with his thumb and said, “Thank you, Love. Merry Christmas.”

Noctis grinned wide at the petname. “Yeah, Merry Christmas, Iggy.”

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanna apologise again for being late, and I hope the length makes up for it;;
> 
> OK so that was something for me to write, alright. Especially since this was the first time I've written for FFXV and the first time in over a year for any sort of fiction. I hope I did the boys justice (sorry gladio for not including you, like at all TTnTT next time) and that they're not too OOC. I only wish that I could've included more puns from Ignis but alas.
> 
> This was a really fun thing to write, and a challenge too! I tried to make any knitting details as clear as possible so people who have no clue about knitting can still follow through. I hope I got it all right myself bc while I can knit, its just barely and I was self taught lmao, so maybe some of my own struggles with knitting came through with Noct. I actually wanted to include more about Noct knitting (especially about finishing up the sweater) but I ran out of room (10k was the word limit and I wouldnt have ever finished if I wrote all the ideas I wanted to include lol)
> 
> I'm still worried that it wasn't clear that Noct was getting Ignis' measurements using himself as a guide in that kitchen scene where he's waving his hand about, I just wanna clarify here that's what he was doing orz
> 
> Also, that was my first time writing a kiss and i was ;;;; I'm so bad at handling fluff and cute stuff, and you'd think writing it yourself would dampen it but I'm still just as *screaming inside* as I normally am.
> 
> Anyways, here are a few things I wanted to include but didn't have the time/space for (so you can say they're events that implicitly happened)  
> -Noct getting super excited about finishing one sleeve, and starts sending lots of pics to Prom (and again when he actually finishes)  
> -Noct contemplating different jumper designs (ie silly or serious)  
> -Noct contemplating just giving up and buying ignis a damn sweater but persists through with the power of love  
> -Prom giving Gladio his gift (a scarf Prom knits) and Gladio starts wearing it all the time, even when its not cold
> 
> Also, I tried to proofread this myself, so tell me if you noticed any glaring errors, or about anything you particularly liked or think I could improve on!!
> 
> Thank you for reading this fic and this long note!!


End file.
